Sandal type shower shoe with adjustable foot-retaining means



Dec. 5, 1950 A. mccou 2,532,638

SANDAL TYPE SHOWER SHOE WITH ADJUSTABLE FOOT-RETAINING MEANS Filed Nov. 22. 1948 awegvrax 47" OR/VE Y Patented Dec. 1950 UNITED STATES OFFECE SANDAL TYPE SHOWER SHOE WITH ADJUSTABLE FOOT-RETAINING MEANS 3 Claims.

This invention pertains to sandal type shower shoes with adjustable foot retaining means.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a shoe having a high, thick sole block, so that the foot of the wearer is elevated above the surface on which he walks;

Another object is to provide a shoe having a thick sole composed of a block of wood, or other equivalent substance, having over-lying holding cords, adjustable as to length, adapted to conform to the upper part of the foot, so that the wearer may slip his foot beneath these cords and onto the top of the sole block without the necessity of fitting the shoe onto the foot by hand, and therefore without the necessity of stooping;

Another object is to provide a shower shoe which has a block sole to provide an elevated platform for the feet whereby they may be removed from contact with the earth or floor and kept from contact with fungus or bacteria which may infest runways 0r floors near swimming pools, bath houses, or the like; said block being provided with hold down cords adjustable as to length, sufficiently stiff to remain erect over the sole platform, so that the feet of the wearer may be Slipped in place on the sole blocks without manual help;

Still another object is to provide a means for adjusting the hold down cords, above mentioned, consisting of screws extending transversely through shoe, knots formed at one end of each hold down cord and the threads of the screw engaging clasps surrounding knots formed at the other end of each hold down cord;

A still further object is to provide mechanism for holding the feet of the wearer on the upper surface of the sole blocks, consisting of cotton ropes, forming hold down cords, knotted at each end so that the knots may be introduced into holes transversely bored through the sole block in two positions along the length thereof, together'with mechanism for maintaining one of the knots in fixed position in said hole, while the other knot may be drawn to and from the fixed knot; said mechanism including a metal stop secured within one end of each transverse hole, a clasp attached to one end of the hold down cord and a screw adapted to engage one end of the cord against said hole stop while the other end of the screw threads into the clasp on the free end of the cord.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

I attain the foregoing objects by the means of the mechanism and structure illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of one form of my shower shoe;

Figure 2, a side elevation thereof;

Figure 3, a perspective view of one of the hold down cords and the mechanism by which it is attached to the body of the shoe, shown in expanded form;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional elevation taken substantially on line 3-4, Figure 2; and

Figure 5 is a side elevation of a modified form of shower shoe, embodying my improvements.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts in the several views.

The body 2 of the shoe is composed of a solid wooden block, which may be either in the form shown in Figures 1 and 2 or in that shown in Figure 5. This body may be termed the sole block since it constitutes the entire sole of the shoe and is in block form, so as to elevate the platform 3 a considerable distance from the ground level t and thus keep the wearers feet away from and out of all contact with the ground or floor.

The sole block is secured to the feet of the user by two transverse cords s and I which form loops extending transversely over the platform 3 These cords are preferably made of cotton rope. I find that this has the proper consistency and substance to maintain the erected form, as shown in the several figures, so that the foot of the wearer can always be slipped under the loops. Since it is necessary for the cords to conform to the foot of the wearer at two positions, the length of the cords is somewhat critical. Cord 6 is intended to contact the wearers foot 8 a short distance behind the toes, while cord i contacts the upper surface of the foot just to the rear of the instep. Mechanism for holding the cords to the shoe body and provide necessary adjustment includes holes Ill and I2 drilled transversely through the body of the shoe at longitudinal positions so that the cords will assume the positions above mentioned. The forward hole it receives the ends of forward cord 6 and the rear hole i2 receives the ends of the rear cord 1.

A metal bearing M comprising a disk l5 attached by extension pieces I 6 to arcuately shaped fit;

3 plates ii is inserted into one end of each of said transverse holes. The extension pieces it are positioned diametrically opposed points on the edge of disk It, and arcuate plates Hextend over and outwardly from the rim of the hole in which the stop is inserted. The complete hearing i i may then be secured by screws 59 driven through holes in the arcuate plates ll and into the material of the shoe body. A knot 29 is formed at one end of each cord t and l, and a screw 2i inserted. through this knot with a grommet 22 slipped under the screw head 23 to form adequate contact with the knot. Disk iii is drilled to receive the shank of the screw with a sliding A knot 25 is formed at"th'e'other end of the hold down cord and this is enclosed in a metal clasp 26 which is made from a metal strip folded over the knot, so that its overlapping ends El may be drilled and threaded to receive screw 21. A hole 28 is also formed and threaded on the outer face of the clasp. The threaded portion of screw 2!, therefore, screws through the overlapping ends of the clasp strip, through t. e knot and then through hole 28 on the outer face of the clasp. The end of the hole in the shoe body, adjacent the clasp, is partially covered by a notched disc secured by screws The notch ti on the upper side is arranged to receive the end portion of the hold down cord adjacent knot 25 so that the cord will easily slide in and out through the notch space 3E. The object of plates is chiefly ornamental. However, they serve to keep dirt out of transverse holes, and give the body block a finished appearance.

In use, the hold down cords 6 and i are attached to the body block 2 as shown in Figures 1, 2 and 5. Knots 26 are maintained fixed in the bearings M while knots 25 are movable at the opposite ends of each of the transverse holes, respectively. The length of the cords 6 and i is adjusted by a screw driver applied to the head 23 of each of the screws 26. Rear cord l is adjusted to bear on the portion of the foot just above and forward of the ankle and slightly to the rear of the instep, and forward cord ii is adjusted to that portion of the foot slightly to the rear of the toes.

The mechanism above described for adjusting the length of these cords makes this operation simp1e and easy. When both cords are properly adjusted the foot may be slipped under them and worn as shown in Figure 1. The shoes are made in right and left pairs and preferably the screw heads 23 are on the outside faces of each shoe.

Having fully described my invention and explained its use, I make the following claims:

1. A shower shoe composed of a thick sole block having an elevated foot suporting surface, a, hole extending transversely through said block at a forward position to receive the ends of a forward foot retaining rope adapted to engage the foot of the wearer just to the rear of the toes, a hole extending transversely through said block at a rearward position to receive the ends of a rearward foot retaining rope adapted to engage over the foot of the wearer just forward of the ankle, metal bearings having disk centrally pierced to receive the shank of an adjusting screw, and each secured within one of the ends of each of said holes, foot retaining ropes having knots formed at each end extending over said foot supporting surface, a closed looped band enclosing the knot at one end of each of said ropes and having threaded holes to receive adjusting screws, adjusting screws having shanks inserted through each of the knots at the ends of said ropes not enclosed by said bands, and through said bearing disks and extending through said holes in said block and being adapted to hold each of said knots through which they pass in each of said holes, and being threaded through said bands, so as to draw each of the knots enclosed thereby into the opposite ends of each of said holes in said block.

2. In a shower shoe as herein disclosed havin a sole block with an elevated foot supporting surface and being provided with forwardly and rearwardly positioned transverse holes, the combination therewith of adjustable foot retaining means including a pair of ropes looped over said block, each rope being knotted at each end, bolts each having a head at one end and a threaded portion at the other end inserted through each of the knots at one end of said ropes and a closed looped band threaded onto each of said bolts and each enclosing one of the knots at the opposite ends of said ropes, bearing disks centrally pierced to each receive the shank of one of said bolts and each secured within one of the ends of said holes in said block, forming, with said heads, cavities receiving the knots between said disks and the heads of said bolts; said knots enclosed by said bands being retained within the opposite ends of said holes and being free to slide axially therein along the threaded ends of said bolts as said bolts are rotated in said bands.

3. In a shower shoe as herein disclosed having a sole block with transverse holes therethrough, a foot retaining means to retain the foot of the wearer on'said block, including a rope knotted at each end, an adjusting screw having head at one end, a shank, adjacent thereto, and a threaded portion at the other end, the shank ex- 1 tending through the knot at one end of said rope with the head thereof bearing against said knot and the shank of said screw extending through one of the holes in said sole block, a closed looped band enclosing the knot at the opposite end of said rope and having threaded holes on each side of said knot to receive the threaded end of said screw, and a bearing element having a disk centrally pierced to admit said screw and positioned within one end of said sole block hole forming a cavity to embed the knot on said shank adjacent said screw head; the knot enclosed in said band at the opposite end of said screw being free to slide in the opposite end of said hole when said screw is rotated in the threaded holes in said band.

ALBERT L. NICCOLI.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Name 

